India, Jan. 27 -- What does it mean to be a gay man in India? Not the India of urban metropolis which has more modern attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community; but the India that resides in villages, entrenched within deeply conservative religious and social standards. The idea of 'coming out' is complex, for it entails battling family expectations and societal pressures to settle down by marrying.

In Rohan Parashuram Kanawade's gentle and wondrous feature film, Sabar Bonda, the writer and director's eye focuses on the story of two men from rural Maharashtra coming to realize their love for each other in adulthood, still in a shared secrecy. This love has known no language of expression, so it must be hidden: from their families, their rel...